Bringing High Quality Audio to Tour Boats

Posted by, admin on February 14, 2019

Argosy Cruises’ newest tour boat in the Seattle area is the
Salish Explorer. Built by All American Marine and outfitted by system
integrator OpenSquare, the Salish Explorer’s comprehensive audio system
features Revolution Acoustics SSP6 Multiducers throughout.

“Argosy wanted to do this the right way from the outset,”
said OpenSquare’s Michael Combs, Director of Technology. “Tour boats haven’t
been known for consistent audio quality – audio has typically been way too loud
or extremely muddy depending on where you’re standing or sitting. They insisted
the Salish Explorer have consistent sound throughout. Argosy also had a unique
challenge – some of their cruises go past residential areas and they wanted a
sound system that would be loud enough for everyone on the boat to enjoy
without blasting the shoreline with unwanted sound.”

Combs first heard the Revolution Acoustics SSP6 Multiducers
at an InfoComm trade show and identified these products as the solution they
needed. “We worked with Revolution Acoustics to determine the proper number of
Multiducers needed to cover the boat. We were very surprised when they told us
we would need less than half of the number of traditional loudspeakers that had
originally been specified for the project.”

SSP6 Multiducers are installed in the ceilings of indoor
areas. On the upper deck, Multiducers are attached to the sidewall and on the
aluminum mast. The SSP6’s IP66 rating means it can be used even on open decks
where it will be exposed to salt spray. And, audio is consistent. “There are NO
dead zones and NO loud zones because there’s nothing right over your head
firing sound at you and dropping off rapidly,” said Combs. “If you stand at one
of the bars, the closest Multiducer is 18 feet away. The sound dropoff at the
bar is just right to be able to converse with the bartender – but you can still
hear the music and announcements clearly, and at a comfortable level.”

The placement of the SSP6 units on the open decks also
solved the residential area concern. “You can’t transmit loud sound across the
water with this system, but it’s a great level on the deck,” said Combs. “We
tested this by driving past dock areas with loud music – as loud as we’d ever
want it – playing on the outside upper deck. At 200 yards, people on the dock could
tell there was music but it wasn’t discernable. On a pass with narration, the
people on the dock said ‘I think you’re speaking but I don’t know what you’re
saying.’”